Unconditional Love

The following is an excerpt from Shri Anandi Ma’s Guru Purnima talk in CT on July 26, 2015.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is all by the grace of Guruji that we all are here today. As I sit here, several memories of Guruji come to the heart and the mind. We have some showers this morning and that is truly a memory of feeling of Guruji’s unconditional love. Oftentimes that love felt like a little drizzle or a light shower, but many times it felt like a heavy shower and even something extraordinary like the falls of Niagara.

His unique qualities, unconditional love, true compassion and an ease with which he could forgive were a unique experience in the years with him.

His unique qualities, unconditional love, true compassion and an ease with which he could forgive were a unique experience in the years with him. Even though he was so involved with the welfare for humanity and for his disciples, still he had an inner state of detachment from anything and everything. Like the snake that easily sheds its old skin and moves away, similarly he had that state of mind where in spite of being within and in everything, he was yet aloof, completely untouched by anything and everything. No matter what situations existed externally, how good or how rough things were, his state of balance without any fluctuations was a positive experience at all times.

Of course, different people, different disciples have different levels of faith, surrender, and even respect for the guru, so there’s a huge variation within all of that as well. The entire spectrum was visible. On one end were disciples who were one hundred percent dedicated, devoted and surrendered, and on the other side those who were always questioning, constantly doubting, challenging, and even insulting to the extent that they brought tears to Guruji’s eyes. Even within the villages of Bhandwad, that spectrum was seen and experienced, but the beauty of Guruji’s interaction was that he showed neither pain nor pleasure in any of those situations.

Butter needs a little heat to melt, but Guruji’s heart melted just looking, just thinking about the pain of others. That constant flow of love and compassion flowed from his eyes intensely.

Guruji always had just a few words to say: “You be happy, you attain your welfare.” His heart was softer than butter. Whenever there was any event that brought his guru to mind, invariably tears would flow from his eyes like a river. And many a time when he was witnessing the pain and suffering of someone, or if there was something quite tragic going on in India or in any part of the world, he had an intense emotion of pain and suffering, sharing it with those persons. Whenever I had tears in my eyes, he always had tears in his as well. Butter needs a little heat to melt, but Guruji’s heart melted just looking, just thinking about the pain of others. That constant flow of love and compassion flowed from his eyes intensely. At the same time, whenever the occasion presented itself and there was the need, he could be harder than the hardest of armor.

He would go to the door and say goodbye to any disciple, young or old, who was leaving the ashram.

In his unique interaction with anyone and everyone, young or old, he always brought about that feeling in every heart that, he is mine. He was freely available and always spoke with anyone and everyone who came to his doorstep. He would go to the door and say goodbye to any disciple, young or old, who was leaving the ashram. That simplicity was a feature he had. Once he was invited to stay with someone who had a big dog, and people were afraid to come to see him because of the dog. So Guruji called the disciple and said, “Either you tie up your dog and open your door so that anyone and everyone can visit me, or I will leave.”

You have heard Guruji’s words that he is always with you, the disciple. Those words are not false even for a fraction of a second. Every moment, I continue to experience that.

Having the presence of such a being in our lives has been the greatest gift, the key aspect of our welfare.
Guruji didn’t write books, nor did he give long lectures; his life in itself was a complete and perfect teaching. From a distance it is very easy to get impressed by books or words, but living constantly in close quarters with a person and seeing those unique interactions day after day is the true recognition of a person. So I consider myself totally blessed and lucky simply by having encountered a few years with Guruji. He was like the ocean, but all I can say is I experienced a drop from that ocean. At the same time, my heart is also feeling a deep level of sadness and detachment.

You have heard Guruji’s words that he is always with you, the disciple. Those words are not false even for a fraction of a second. Every moment, I continue to experience that.